Healthy Foods for Diabetics

A diabetic diet consists of foods that are healthy for a controlled diabetic diet. This comprises a list of foods for diabetics that is high in fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins and minerals. The list of foods that we have included in this diabetics diet slideshow are also familiar and easy to find. These are not the only food for diabetics, but including them in your diabetes meal plan will help improve your overall health.

High Fiber: High fiber foods are known to lower blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Whole grains, oats, channa atta, millets and other high fiber foods should be included in foods for diabetics. Maida, sooji, noodles, pasta should be avoided. If one feels like consuming pasta or noodles, it should always be accompanied with vegetable /sprouts.

Beans: Beans have always been the undervalued protein that could work best when used as a substitute for meat. They stay in your digestive system longer and add to the feeling of fullness and a satisfied feeling, aiding weight management, a very good example for food for diabetics. To save time cooking beans, use a pressure cooker. Soaked beans are tender in just 10 to 15 minutes.

Barley: Barley is great for a healthy diet. Barley includes both soluble and insoluble fiber in abundance. It can be added to soups, cereal and salads. This food for diabetics reduces the rise in blood sugar after a meal by almost 70 per cent, and hence keeps your blood sugar lower and steadier for hours.

Carrots: While the type of sugar they contain is transformed into blood sugar quickly, the amount of sugar in carrots is extremely low. This food for diabetics are one of nature’s richest sources of beta-carotene, which is linked to a lower risk of diabetes and better blood-sugar control.

Asparagus: Scientists have found regular intake of the increasingly popular vegetable keeps blood sugar levels under control and boosts the body's production of insulin, the hormone that helps it to absorb glucose, the Daily Mail reported.

Milk: Milk is the right combination of carbohydrates and proteins and helps control blood sugar levels. Two servings of milk in a daily diet is a good option as a fod for diabetics, however other product like curds, butter milk and or cottage cheese are also good substitutes. But, one should ensure that low fat milk is consumed, as fat in milk is not healthy and also adds to extra calories.

Vegetables and Pulses: Vegetables are a good source of vitamins and fiber. High fiber vegetables such as peas, beans, broccoli and spinach /leafy vegetables should be included as food for diabetics. Also, pulses with husk and sprouts are a healthy option and should form a part of the diet.

Good Quality Fat: It is important to choose fats wisely as some fats are healthier for the body than others. One should carefully choose cooking oils that are high in MUFA (Monounsaturated Fat) as these fatty acids control bad cholesterol and control diabetes as well. High N3, with low saturated fatty acid content is another good property of oil.

Canola is the right option as a food for diabetics with all these healthy properties for diabetes and heart health and is a good recommendation as cooking oil.

Olive Oil: Unlike butter, the good fat in olive oil won’t increase insulin resistance and help reverse it. A touch of olive oil also slows digestion, so your meal is less likely to spike your glucose. As a food for diabetics use them in salads, pastas and starters.

Fruits: Fruits high in fiber such as papaya, apple, orange, pear and guava should be consumed. Fruits contain fructose which does not let the blood sugar levels rise immediately and thus can be easily consumed as food for diabetics. However, calories from excess intake remain.

Apples: Apples are naturally low in calories, yet their high fibre content. This food for diabetics fills you up, battles bad cholesterol, and blunts blood-sugar swings. Eat them whole and unpeeled for the greatest benefit, or make a quick baked apple.

Berries: Berries are full of fibre and antioxidants. The red and blue varieties also contain natural plant compounds called anthocyanins. Scientists believe these may help lower blood sugar by boosting insulin production.

Broccoli: Broccoli is filling, fibrous, and full of antioxidants. It’s also rich in chromium, which plays an important role in long-term blood sugar control. Use this food for diabetics in soups, pasta dishes, and casseroles, or sauté it with garlic, soy sauce, or for a taste you’ll fall for.

Flaxseeds: They’re rich in protein, fibre, and good fats similar to the kind found in fish. They’re also a source of magnesium, a mineral that’s key to blood-sugar control because it helps cells use insulin. The best way to have this food for diabetics in in the morning as soon as you get up. A tablespoon of it works wonders.

Oatmeal: Oatmeal is loaded with soluble fibre which, when mixed with water, forms a paste. Just as it sticks to your bowl, it also forms a gummy barrier between the digestive enzymes in your stomach and the starch molecules in your meal. So it takes longer for your body to convert the carbs you’ve eaten into blood sugar. This dieter's food can be best used as a food for diabetics in breakfasts, porridges, soups and casseroles.

Fish: According to a Harvard School of Public Health study eating fish just once a week can reduce your risk of heart disease by 40 per cent. The fatty acids in fish reduce inflammation in the body—a major contributor to coronary disease—as well as insulin resistance and diabetes. Grilled fish is a good food for diabetics.

Small Frequent Meals: A large meal gives rise to higher blood sugar in one’s body, therefore it is essential to take small frequent meals to prevent both higher and very low blood sugar values and keep them constant. Food for diabetics should consists of small in between snacks can be dhokla, fruit, high fiber cookies, butter milk, yogurt, upma/poha with vegetables etc.

Yogurt: Yogurt is rich in protein and another weight loss powerhouse: calcium. Several studies have shown that people who eat plenty of calcium-rich foods have an easier time losing weight - and are less likely to become insulin resistant.

Choose yogurt as a food for diabetics by including it in your breakfast, add fruits to it or sprinkle a low-fat granola for extra nutrients.

Nuts: Nuts are full of 'good' fats that fight heart disease. These fats have even been shown to help reduce insulin resistance and make blood sugar easier to control. Nuts are also one of the best food sources of vitamin E, an antioxidant that protects cells and may help prevent nerve and eye damage. They are rich in fiber and magnesium, both of which may help regulate your blood sugar.

Cereal: The right breakfast cereal is the absolute food for diabetics, it’s the best opportunity to pack more fiber into your day.